The Conquest Of America

The conquest of America by Europeans in the 16th century meant that the indigenous cultures were almost wiped out, Because of the Spaniards' desire to convert the Amerindians to Christianity, the traditional features of the native way of life were absorbed into the dominant culture, although this process was uneven.
The tribes that survived were the most primitive and they never developed, but the civilization of the Aztecs and Incas wholly disappeared.
(p37 The Ages of Discovery, Editor: James Mitchell)